tribute

[5stringlowb]

ok what is with the tribute band deal! did nobody
see the movie rockstar and get the point !
doing covers is one thing but when you dress up like someone
else and act like someone else its a different story.
Is nobody seeing that this is not a good thing for
music in general. we all talk about the music scene dying and people
not going to live shows . well maybe its cause theres nothing new to see.
everbody does the same songs or one genere of music ,
theres nothing different if you see one band you've seen them all !
we as musicians need to change that , write originals and play them !
do your version of cover songs not a carbon copy of whats on the record !
venues need to also be included in this effort , have one night a month for original bands to play thier material. Where did bands like aerosmith,ac/dc,or countless other bands play before they were who they are today!
the tribute band is a easy way of making money drawing people to see
thier favorite songs played by someone other than the band that recorded them , but where does it lead ? will it soon be nobody plays original music or does covers that arent just like the record ?

[sstuckey]

If you really like one particular band and can pull it off....I see nothing wrong with playing in a tribute band. Had I found the right members/chemistry I would have loved to put together a Metallica tribute band. I'm not entirely sure what the complaint here is.

[bassist_25]

Tribute bands aren't my thing either, but if that's what someone wants to do, then they should follow their muse. It's not my place to tell someone what to do with their talent, because I have some fuzzy philosophical belief about the right way to approach music. Also, from all of my friends whom I've talked to who have been in tribute projects, it's anything but easy if you want to pull it off right.

As far as whether or not to cover a song like the original: Sometimes a new and novel arrangement is just what the tune needed to have new life or work into a set list. Sometimes a diverence from the original is just a way to try and hide the fact that the musicians don't actually have the chops to pull off the song as written. Also, the amount of improvisation and the acceptability of how much of a player's stamp and reinterperation should go into a tune is often genre specific - jazz and classical music representing both extremes, respectfully. There's no absolute truth here.

[5stringlowb]

its not really a complaint as much as a observation , and
there is no right or wrong in music its just seems
to be a trend.much like southern rock , metal or grundge were
but those moved forward . this trend seems to be moving in the
oposite direction. again its not right or wrong its an observation .

[Banned]

A bar owner pays the band who brings in the most people. I don't think many of them worry if the band is playing covers or originals.

[CHICKSINGA]

...

[sstuckey]

A bar owner pays the band who brings in the most people. I don't think many of them worry if the band is playing covers or originals.

THAT to me is the biggest problem we have of all. Its not the most talented musicians that get the gigs but rather the ones with the most friends and relatives that go to see them. Now I'm not saying that is all the bands with good followings, many have worked for years to garner a following. But they started back when music was more about entertainment instead of part of why a club was sucessful. Many bands playing now would have been ignored due to lack of talent back then. Now its more of who's go the most friends that will come to your gig & rest assured it's more than likely the band that is from the town the bar is in.
When Pete and I were in LA the promoters played it all like that. Now LA is dead and the burgs back here are doing it. Very FEW clubowners give a rats ass who is talented.

Tribute bands are clones in my opinion. If it makes you happy, rock away.
You wont see me in the crowd.

Of course they are clones. If they weren't they'd be an awfully lousy tribute band! HA HA HA HA

[witchhunt]

A bar owner pays the band who brings in the most people. I don't think many of them worry if the band is playing covers or originals.

THAT to me is the biggest problem we have of all. Its not the most talented musicians that get the gigs but rather the ones with the most friends and relatives that go to see them.

You sound like a very frustrated musician. If you really believe your own statement, that is.

[sstuckey]

A bar owner pays the band who brings in the most people. I don't think many of them worry if the band is playing covers or originals.

THAT to me is the biggest problem we have of all. Its not the most talented musicians that get the gigs but rather the ones with the most friends and relatives that go to see them.

You sound like a very frustrated musician. If you really believe your own statement, that is.

And to be honest the friends/family thing that wears off after a couple shows. After the novelty has worn off you either won them over also as actual fans or you don't. However I do have to say the closing of Peter C's hurt us all. Big John gave everyone a chance to prove themselves. And I have said it before and I'll say it again thank you Big John for everything!

[RonS]

I'm not entirely sure what the complaint here is.

I guess this is the complaint.

we as musicians need to change that , write originals and play them !

We need to start writing and playing originals so we can force Mini-Kiss out of the local live music scene?

[Banned]

I'm not entirely sure what the complaint here is.

I guess this is the complaint.

we as musicians need to change that , write originals and play them !

We need to start writing and playing originals so we can force Mini-Kiss out of the local live music scene?

Ask Moxam123 about the story of how MiniKiss was chosen to play in Jtown. Sad story of who gets to pick some of these musical acts.

[RonS]

i was only kidding. I had no idea Mini-Kiss played around here, it was the only tribute band i could think of

[f.sciarrillo]

From what I hear (I haven't heard them. Would like to though), Battery is a pretty good band.

[CHICKSINGA]

...

[sstuckey]

From what I hear (I haven't heard them. Would like to though), Battery is a pretty good band.

I saw them many, many years ago and they were pretty bad ass Frank! From what I remember anyway, they were pretty damn tight.

[StumbleFingers]

i was only kidding. I had no idea Mini-Kiss played around here, it was the only tribute band i could think of

At least other tribute bands play their instruments and play them well. Mini-Kiss is midget karaoke. Someone needs to tell Mini-Gene that a bass and a guitar are not the same thing the next time he stops in at Wal-Mart to pick up a prop instrument.

[Jasaoke]

In some ways, being in a tribute band could be a pretty sweet gig. You could book a LOT of shows, like conventions and corperate events. People with decent budgets but not quite enough to get the real thing. You wouldn't have to learn tons of new material, and nobody would ever expect you to be "as good as the original ".

Personally, I consider it musically lazy, but there IS a market for it.




Oh, and I went to LA!!



While I was there I saw the Whole Lotta Rosies; an all-girll AC/DC tribute band. They put on a fantastic show.

Dread Zeppelin was a reggae Zep tribute band.

Both of these groups put their own originality into someone else's work. They were creative and managed to remain quite successful in a highly competitive market.

[riksylvania]

Don't forget about Lez Zepplin and El Vez!

[witchhunt]

On the secondary subject of this thread... As a band member, would it make a difference to you if your crowd was made up of friends and relatives or people you don't know?

[robinhood]

I think it does. My first and only bar experience so far was mostly people I didn't know but there were some of my family in there as well. I think that honestly having friends and family there made me a bit more nervous than the people I didn't think I'd see again. But going to a gig where it's entirely your friends and family would be a bit of a bummer in my opinion because then its hard to get good opinions of how you did (unless you have very brunt and honest friends/fam) lol

[bassist_25]

I never got the priviledge to see mini-Kiss with my own eyes, but JP's review of them from a few years back will always be one of the most epic JP reviews ever.

[Banned]

I have seen two different Blues Brothers tribute shows. Both were for corporate events and both were great. Both were with real musicians who played great blues music and the singers/actors were awesome too. One band actually had Jim Belusi, John's brother playing his role. He should have replaced Jake in the second movie. He hung around afterwards and was a cool guy.

No, scratch that, that second Blues Brothers movie sucked.

[Hawk]

I saw Foreigner with ONE original member. Wasn't that pretty much a fauxForeigher band or a tribute band, who happened to be able to use the name simply because ONE guy played in the original ?

BTW they kicked ass and I enjoyed every minute...

[Victor Synn]

Not sure if I should answer to this thread, since I'm in a tribute band.

[f.sciarrillo]

From what I hear (I haven't heard them. Would like to though), Battery is a pretty good band.

I saw them many, many years ago and they were pretty bad ass Frank! From what I remember anyway, they were pretty damn tight.

I was going to try and see them at the Rail Road Museum last summer, but ended up having to work. I will see them eventually.